MAIN Christmas Europe Christmas in Austria

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright ...
Silent Night

It was in the little village of Oberndorf near Salzburg where Austrian priest Joseph Mohr first composed and sang the Christmas classic, Stille Nacht or Silent Night in 1818.

Today, Austria continues to mark the holidays with reverence and religious devotion mixed with traditional seasonal fun and excitement - found at local Christmas markets on practically every street corner in major cities during the holidays.

The feast of St. Nicholas on December 6 heralds the arrival of Christmas in Austria as children await the arrival of Santa. That's when families begin to hurriedly prepare for the celebrating & feasting to come, and yet again on New Year's Eve, when that holiday ends the season with partying in the streets in homes and at concert halls.

Vienna Christmas Markets - A mini-directory of where to locate and what to look for at top Christmas markets throughout the city.

Advent and Christmas in Salzburg - Listings and related links to major Christmas markets, entertainment venus, and chorale services throughout town during the holidays.

Christmas in Austria - Archived feature from the Cultured Traveler, with photos and overviews of the annual Christmas markets, traditonal decorations and gift giving customs.

Christmas in Germany and Austria - Comparison of German, Austrian and Swiss Christmas traditions & customs, with related links and resources.

Advent, Christmas & New Year in Austria - Three separate sections detailing the entire holiday season that concludes with traditional New Year's celebrations on the streets of Vienna.

Austrian Christmas Gebackener Karpfen Recipe - The traditional Austrian Christmas Eve fried carp dish with ingredient list and complete instructions.

Austrian Christmas Pastries - Ingredients & instructions for making traditional holiday cookies & breads including Kletzenbrot (Christmas fruit bread), Lebkuchen (Gingerbread), Vanillekipferl (Vanilla crescents), Zimtsterne (Cinnamon stars) and more.

also see in Travel -> Austria Tourist Attractions